Online safety

• Use strong online passwords, don’t share them and regularly update software.
• Be aware that people you meet online may not be who they say they are. 
• Protect your devices: get free anti-virus software and advice about keeping your PC, laptop and mobile devices secure.
• Email safety: how to spot clever fakes out to defraud you.
• Social media safety guidelines for students. 
• Online Bullying/Harassment: Tips on how to deal with online bullying/harassment.  
• Help protect yourself from online abuse by setting up google alerts, raising privacy settings, and reverse searching images.  
• Advice on actions to take should you be victim to online sexual abuse. 

Image-based sexual abuse is a violation of privacy and people who have been targeted often feel humiliated, angry or depressed. You might feel too ashamed or embarrassed to report the crime to the police, but if you’ve experienced image-based sexual abuse, it’s important to remember that you’re not to blame – only the offender is responsible for this crime taking place. Support and reporting options are available.

Online Image based sexual abuse can also include:

• Sextortion/Webcam blackmail - when someone is persuaded to perform an act in front of a webcam, which is recorded by someone (often they are unknown to the person), who then threatens to share the images online unless the victim pays. Find out more information and how to protect yourself on the National Crime Agency website. Advice can also be found on the Revenge Porn Helpline if you have been victim to this type of abuse.  

• Cyber flashing- if you were to send a sexual image without someone’s consent, this could be cyberflashing and could be a punishable offence. Receipt of an unwanted sexual images is now reportable to the Police. Further information is available via Rape Crisis.  

• Cyber stalking - cyber and digital stalking is using the Internet, email or other electronic communications to stalk someone. They may occur as part of a wider stalking campaign or may be conducted entirely electronically. You can access help through Protection against Stalking and The Cyber Helpline with their Cyber Stalking Clinic.  

• Sharing intimate images without your consent (also known as Revenge Porn) is the distribution of a private sexual image of someone without their consent and with the intention of causing them distress.  Images can also be shared through forums such as ‘Bait Out’. This can also take place alongside bullying/harassment and slut shaming. Further information, and steps to take if you have experienced this type of abuse are available through the Revenge Porn Helpline. 

Support available

• Specialist Wellbeing Team- Student Support and Wellbeing have specialist staff providing practical support and advice to students reporting sexual assault, rape, discrimination, hate incidents or bullying. 

• Report + Support is our online platform where you can report an incident and get follow-up support. 

• Revenge Porn Helpline can help those who have had Intimate images shared without consent, Threats to share intimate images, Images recorded without consent (Voyeurism), Webcam blackmail (Sextortion) and upskirting.  

• SPITE provides legal support to those who feel they have been a victim of someone sharing and publishing intimate images without their consent.